Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is of great interest as a target for pharmaceuticals because fatty acid amides are important cellular messengers with critical roles in inflammation and analgesia. In particular, anandamide is an endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of pain, inflammation, and cognitive states. Because anandamide is primarily degraded by FAAH, this enzyme is being pursued as a biological target for treating the above-mentioned disorders. For example, it has been shown that FAAH inhibitors could reduce inflammatory pain.
However, current assays for FAAH activity are limited and typically require HPLC, radioactivity, or short-wavelength fluorescence for detection. None of these methods is suitable for rapid assays or imaging in live cells or organisms. Even in vitro, these assays are limited in terms of speed, sensitivity, and/or compound compatibility.